Azure Data Factory(ADF) vs Azure Functions: How to choose?

Question

Currently we are using Blob trigger Azure Functions to move json data into Cosmos DB. We are planning to replace Azure Functions with Azure Data Factory(ADF) pipeline. I am new to Azure Data Factory(ADF), so not sure, Could Azure Data Factory(ADF) pipeline be better option or not?

Answer 1

Though my answer is a bit late, I would like to add that I would not recommend replacing your current setup with ADF. Reasons:

1. It is too expensive. ADF costs way more than azure functions.
2. Custom Logic: ADF is not built to perform cleansing logics or any custom code. Its primary goal is for data integration from external systems using its vast connector pool
3. Latency: ADF has much higer latency due to the large overhead of its job frameweork

Answer 2

Based on you requirements, Azure Data Factory is your perfect option. You could follow this tutorial to configure Cosmos DB Output and Azure Blob Storage Input.

Advantage over azure function is being that you don't need to write any custom code unless there is a data cleaning involved and azure data factory is the recommended option, even if you want azure function for other purposes you can add it within the pipeline.